# FreshBooks vs Wave for Freelancers (2026): Price, Plans and Which One to Pick

> FreshBooks vs Wave for freelancers: dated list prices, what the Wave free plan leaves out, the five-client cap on FreshBooks Lite and a checklist to pick one.

Canonical: https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/
Last updated: 2026-11-02

[← Comparisons](https://clientworkhq.net/topics/comparisons/)

COMPARISONS · 6 MIN READ

![Photo of Simon Dziak](https://clientworkhq.net/images/simon-dziak.jpg)[Simon Dziak](https://simondziak.com/)Editor, [Client Work HQ](https://clientworkhq.net/about/)Published Nov 2, 2026 · Updated Oct 28, 2026

[Short answer ↓](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#short-answer)[Trial worksheet ↓](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#trial-worksheet)

THE SHORT ANSWER

Wave is cheaper on monthly billing, the basis both pages show: Starter is free and Pro is $19 a month, against FreshBooks Lite at $23 a month. FreshBooks says late fees and unlimited time tracking are included with Lite, but Lite bills only five clients. Pick Wave for the lowest bill, FreshBooks for built-in late fees and time tracking.

**Next step:** [Workspace369 pricing ↗](https://workspace369.com/pricing/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave&utm_content=answer). Plans start at $29 a month ($23.25 billed yearly). Cadet through Commander start with a 14-day free trial; a card is needed to start.

Our #1 pick is Workspace369. [Our editorial approach ↗](https://clientworkhq.net/about/#disclosure)

### In this guide

[FreshBooks vs Wave pricing](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#freshbooks-vs-wave-pricing)[What the Wave free plan leaves out](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-the-wave-free-plan-leaves-out)[What FreshBooks Lite includes](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-freshbooks-lite-includes)[What your client sees](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-your-client-sees)[Who keeps your books?](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#who-keeps-your-books)[Check these before you pay](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#check-these-before-you-pay)[Which one should you pick?](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#which-one-should-you-pick)[Invoicing clients in Workspace369](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#invoicing-clients-in-workspace369)[Frequently asked questions](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#frequently-asked-questions)[Visual handoff test](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#workflow-test)[Printable trial worksheet](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#trial-worksheet)

On subscription price, Wave is cheaper than FreshBooks at every step on monthly billing, the basis both pages show: Wave Starter is free and Wave Pro is $19 a month, while FreshBooks starts at $23 a month for Lite. FreshBooks says late fees and unlimited time tracking are included with Lite, but Lite bills only five clients. Pick Wave for the lowest bill and FreshBooks Lite for built-in late fees and time tracking with five clients or fewer.

List prices in US dollars from each company’s pricing page, read November 2, 2026, excluding the limited-time discounts the pages may show (FreshBooks showed 80% off for four months). The FreshBooks page shows monthly prices only, so we compare on monthly billing. Prices change, so check both pages before you pay. This compares published plans and features; it is not a hands-on test.

Jump to [prices](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#freshbooks-vs-wave-pricing), [the Wave free plan](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-the-wave-free-plan-leaves-out), [FreshBooks Lite](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-freshbooks-lite-includes), [what your client sees](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#what-your-client-sees), [your books](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#who-keeps-your-books), [the checklist](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#check-these-before-you-pay) or [which to pick](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-vs-wave/#which-one-should-you-pick).

## FreshBooks vs Wave pricing

| Plan | Monthly | A year, billed monthly | Clients you can bill |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wave Starter | $0 | $0 | Not stated on the page, November 2, 2026 |
| Wave Pro | $19 | 12 x $19 (Wave’s page also shows $190 billed yearly) | Not stated on the page, November 2, 2026 |
| FreshBooks Lite | $23 | 12 x $23 | 5 |
| FreshBooks Plus | $43 | 12 x $43 | 50 |
| FreshBooks Premium | $70 | 12 x $70 | Unlimited |

FreshBooks charges $11 a month for each extra team member. FreshBooks has a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Wave Starter is listed at $0; Wave’s trial length and card wording are not stated on the page, November 2, 2026.

Prices move. Before you pay for a year, ask what the renewal price will be.

## What the Wave free plan leaves out

Wave Starter lists “unlimited estimates, invoices, bills, and bookkeeping records”, an option to accept online payments and the mobile app.

Pro adds, per Wave’s plan cards:

- **Bank import:** transactions come in automatically and are merged and categorized.
- **Receipt capture:** unlimited receipts, with expenses tracked.
- **Automatic late-payment reminders.**

So automatic reminders, bank import and receipt capture are listed as Pro additions. If you send a few invoices a month and keep your own books, Starter may be fine.

## What FreshBooks Lite includes

Lite’s plan card lists invoices for 5 clients, expense tracking, estimates, payments and tax-time reports. FreshBooks’ own page freshbooks.com/compare/freshbooks-vs-xero (read November 2, 2026) says “Late Fees - Included with FreshBooks Lite” and “Unlimited Time Tracking - Included with FreshBooks Lite”. The pricing page’s grid shows recurring invoices, automatic reminders, deposits, a client portal and bank import only as icons, so we do not place them on a plan: they are not confirmed on the page text, November 2, 2026. Check them in the 30-day trial.

The catch is the cap: Lite bills five clients, and the page says the limit counts both active and archived clients. Plus raises that to 50 and is where proposals, client retainers and accountant access start. For the full plan-by-plan picture, see our [FreshBooks review](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-review/).

## What your client sees

Whichever tool you pick, your client opens an invoice page and pays. That page is your brand in front of a customer, so check how it looks in each tool before you commit: your logo and colors, or the tool’s. Open it on a phone, too.

## Who keeps your books?

Wave and FreshBooks are both accounting tools first. They track income and expenses and hand that to a tax person. If your accountant wants a ledger, either one works. If you only need to send invoices, both are more than you need.

Plenty of freelancers pair an accounting tool with a client tool for proposals, contracts and the portal. That is a fair setup.

## Check these before you pay

1. **How many clients you bill.** Five on FreshBooks Lite is a hard cap, and Plus is $20 a month more.
2. **Whose brand is on the invoice:** yours or the tool’s.
3. **Whether you can export your clients and invoices** as a file.
4. **One real invoice, from draft to paid,** before you move all your clients.

## Which one should you pick?

| If you… | Pick |
| --- | --- |
| Want the lowest bill and are happy to do the bookkeeping | Wave |
| Want late fees and time tracking, five clients or fewer | FreshBooks Lite |
| Send proposals or run retainers and need accountant access | FreshBooks Plus |
| Want proposals, invoices, retainers and a portal in your own brand | Workspace369 |

## Invoicing clients in Workspace369

Where Wave and FreshBooks start with the books, Workspace369 starts with the client side:

- **One link for the client,** with your logo, your colors, the amount due and a pay button. No account needed, and it reads clearly on a phone.
- **One look everywhere.** Pick it once, and it carries to every proposal and invoice your client opens.
- **The whole client flow:** proposals, invoices, recurring invoices, retainers, time tracking and a client portal, on every plan.
- **Accounting as you grow.** Expenses and basic accounting start on Specialist, and full accounting on Commander.
- **Your data.** Import clients, products, invoices and other data from CSV files.

Recurring invoices, retainers, time tracking, the client portal and branded pages are on every plan, from Cadet at $29 a month for 1 seat ($23.25 billed yearly). Cadet through Commander start with a 14-day free trial (card required). [Workspace369 pricing](https://workspace369.com/pricing/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave cheaper than FreshBooks?

Yes, at every step on list prices. Wave Starter is free and Wave Pro is $19 a month; FreshBooks Lite is $23, Plus $43 and Premium $70 (read November 2, 2026).

### Is Wave really free?

Wave Starter costs nothing and lists unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records. Bank import, receipt capture and automatic reminders are listed as Pro additions.

### How many clients can I bill on FreshBooks Lite?

Five, counting both active and archived clients. Plus bills 50 and Premium is listed as unlimited.

### Does FreshBooks have a free trial?

Yes, 30 days, with no credit card required. Wave Starter is listed at $0; Wave’s trial length is not stated on the page, November 2, 2026.

### Which is better for freelancers, FreshBooks or Wave?

Wave if the lowest bill matters most and you keep your own books. FreshBooks Lite if you want late fees and time tracking built in and bill five clients or fewer.

FOLLOW ONE CLIENT**A simple test of the handoff.**

An evaluation model, not a product screenshot or a claim that every tool handles these steps identically.

1. 01

    ### Inquiry

    Can you identify the client and their next action?

2. 02

    ### Scope

    Can both sides find the agreed deliverables?

3. 03

    ### Delivery

    Does each task have an owner and due date?

4. 04

    ### Approval

    Can you see what the client has accepted?

5. 05

    ### Invoice

    Does the amount match the agreed work?

TAKE IT INTO YOUR TRIAL

## Make the demo prove something.

Use one sample project with invented client details. Add a reschedule or an extra revision after the proposal is accepted.

 Record the agreed scope, price and client responsibilities. Assign the next action to a named person and set a due date. Change one part of the job and check who can see the revised agreement. Open the client-facing view and confirm that the next step is clear. Prepare an invoice and reconcile it with the agreed work. Ask a teammate to follow the project without your explanation. List the subscriptions you could retire only after this trial succeeds.

[Download a text copy ↓](https://clientworkhq.net/downloads/client-work-trial-checklist.txt)

Your checklist stays in this page. We do not send your answers anywhere.

## Follow your business's reading path.

[Calculate your software budget ↗](https://clientworkhq.net/tools/software-stack-calculator/)

CHECK THE DETAILS

## Sources & further reading

Pricing and features can change. Check the vendor’s current plan before buying.

- [FreshBooks pricing (read 2026-11-02)](https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing)
- [FreshBooks vs Xero, FreshBooks (read 2026-11-02)](https://www.freshbooks.com/compare/freshbooks-vs-xero)
- [Wave pricing (read 2026-11-02)](https://www.waveapps.com/pricing)
- [Workspace369 pricing (read 2026-11-02)](https://workspace369.com/pricing/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave)
- [Workspace369: invoices](https://workspace369.com/features/invoices/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave)

OUR PICK FOR CLIENT WORK

## Put the workflow in one place.

See how it handles this workflow: [Workspace369 pricing](https://workspace369.com/pricing/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave&utm_content=cta). Plans start at $29 a month. Cadet through Commander start with a 14-day free trial.

[Workspace369 pricing](https://workspace369.com/pricing/?utm_source=clientworkhq.net&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=freshbooks-vs-wave&utm_content=cta) Our #1 pick is Workspace369.

KEEP EXPLORING

## The next good read.

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### [FreshBooks Review 2026: Plans and Costs](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-review/)

FreshBooks review for 2026: Lite $23, Plus $43 and Premium $70 a month, the 5- and 50-client limits, $11 team members and five alternatives compared.

[Read the guide](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/freshbooks-review/)

Buying guides13 min read

### [Best Small Business Invoicing Software 2026](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/best-invoicing-software-for-small-business/)

Seven invoicing tools for small business compared on plan price, plan gates, seats and trial terms, from vendor pages read October 13 to 25, 2026.

[Read the guide](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/best-invoicing-software-for-small-business/)

Workflows18 min read

### [How to Invoice as a Freelancer in 2026](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/how-to-invoice-clients-as-a-freelancer/)

How to invoice clients as a freelancer: what to include, a fill-in template, payment terms, when to invoice, reminder emails, plus five invoicing tools compared on plan prices.

[Read the guide](https://clientworkhq.net/blog/how-to-invoice-clients-as-a-freelancer/)

ALSO WORTH READING

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## More

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